221. The Lone Ranger

Title: The Lone Ranger
Genre: Action, Adventure, Western
Year: 2013

Summary: In 1933, at a fair in San Francisco, a young boy, Will, who idolizes a legend known as the Lone Ranger, encounters a mannequin that is revealed to be a real native American named Tonto, an elderly Comanche, who proceeds to recount his experiences with lawyer John Reid, the Lone Ranger.

In Colby, Texas on March 18, 1869, Reid returns home via the uncompleted Transcontinental Railroad, managed by railroad tycoon Latham Cole. Unbeknownst to Reid, the train is also carrying Tonto and outlaw Butch Cavendish, who is being transported for his hanging after being apprehended by Dan Reid, John's Texas Ranger brother. Cavendish's gang rescues Cavendish and hijacks the train, which derails. John and Dan arrest Tonto, Dan deputizes John as a Texas Ranger, and with six others, they track down the Cavendish gang.

A few days into the expedition, Cavendish's men ambush and kill their pursuers in canyon, and Cavendish eats Dan's heart. Silver, a white spirit horse sacred to the Comanche, awakens John as a "spirit walker" (one who has been to the other side), and Tonto explains John cannot be killed in battle. Tonto also confirms that Collins (one of the Rangers) betrayed Dan and is working alongside Cavendish, who Tonto believes is a "wendigo". As John is thought to be dead, he wears a mask to protect his identity from enemies. Tonto also gives John a silver bullet made from the fallen Rangers' badges and tells him to use it on Cavendish. They then travel to a brothel Collins recently visited.

There, they find Red Harrington, informs them about Dan and Collins' fight over a cursed silver rock. Meanwhile, Cavendish's men, disguised as Comanches, raid settlements near the Comanche-American border. John and Tonto arrive after such raiders abduct Danny and Rebecca Reid, Dan's son and widow (who shares an attraction with John). Regretting his earlier actions, Collins attempts to help Rebecca and Danny escape but is shot dead by Cole, who rescues them. Assuming the raiders are hostile Comanches, Cole announces the continued construction of the railroad and dispatches Captain Jay Fuller, who leads the United States Cavalry, to exterminate the Comanche.

A Comanche tribe captures John and Tonto soon after the pair finds railroad tracks in reserved territory. The tribe leader tells John of Tonto's past: as a boy, Tonto had rescued Cavendish and Colefrom near-death and showed them the location of a silver mine, in exchange for a pocket watch. The men murdered the tribe to keep the mine a secret, leaving Tonto with great guilt.

Tonto and John escape captivity as the Comanche attack the cavalry. Arriving at the silver mine, they capture Cavendish and kill his men. Tonto demands that John use the silver bullet to kill Cavendish, but John refuses and reveals to Tonto what the Comanche chief told him. Tonto attempts to kill Cavendish, but John knocks him unconscious and brings in Cavendish alive. Upon returning Cavendish to Cole and Fuller's custody, Cole's role in the silver mining operation is revealed. Fuller sides with Cole, fearing if his actions are publicly revealed, he'll be charged as a war criminal. Rebecca is held hostage, and John is transported by train to the silver mine to be executed. However, Tonto rescues him, and the two flee the mine as the cavalry massacres the Comanche warriors. Realizing that Cole is too powerful to be taken down by conventional means, John dons the mask again.

At the site of the union of the Transcontinental Railroad, Cole reveals his true plan: to take complete control of the railroad company and use the mined silver to gain more power. John and Tonto steal a load of nitroglycerin and use it to destroy a railroad bridge. With Red's help, Tonto steals the train with the silver, and Cole, Cavendish and Fuller pursue him in a second train on which Rebecca and Dan Jr. are being held captive. Riding Silver, John pursues both trains. After a furious chase and fights on both trains, both Cavendish and Fuller are killed, Rebecca and Dan Jr. are rescued and Cole dies when he's buried beneath the silver ore, after the train plunges off the severed bridge and into the river below.

The town and railroad enterprise recognize John (whose identity is still unknown to them) as a hero and offer him a law-enforcement position, since the town's rangers were killed. John declines, and he and Tonto ride off. Back in 1933, Will questions the legitimacy of the tale. Tonto gives him a silver bullet and tells him to decide for himself.